Find out how popular the last name Elsner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Elsner.

Elsner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Elsner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elsner in America

Elsner is the 14734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elsner surname appeared 2,017 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Elsner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elsner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Elsner

The surname Elsner originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German personal name "Alswine," which means "noble friend" or "noble companion." The name was predominantly found in areas such as Saxony, Silesia, and East Prussia.

One of the earliest known references to the name Elsner can be found in a document from the city of Zwickau, Saxony, dating back to 1286. This record mentions a certain "Heinricus Elsner" as a landowner in the region. Another early mention is in the Liber Censualis, a census-like record compiled in the 14th century for the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, which lists several individuals with the surname Elsner residing in various villages.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the University of Leipzig, with a student named Johannes Elsner enrolling in 1472. Around the same time, a merchant named Hans Elsner is mentioned in the city archives of Nuremberg, indicating the name's presence in different parts of Germany.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Elsner was Johann Gottfried Elsner (1784-1869), a German composer and music theorist. He was born in Greifenberg, Silesia, and served as the director of the Royal Institute for Church Music in Berlin.

Another prominent figure was Johann Friedrich Elsner (1737-1805), a German engraver and printer who was active in Nuremberg. His engravings and prints were highly regarded and can be found in various collections across Europe.

In the realm of literature, the name is associated with Jakob Elsner (1692-1750), a German poet and playwright from Königsberg, East Prussia. He is particularly known for his satirical works and comedies, which were popular in his time.

Moving into the 19th century, Karl Friedrich Elsner (1800-1872) was a German architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of Berlin. He designed several notable buildings, including the Neue Wache, a famous memorial in Berlin.

Lastly, a more recent figure was Gerhard Elsner (1923-2003), a German film director and screenwriter. He directed several critically acclaimed movies, such as "Jadup and Boel" (1959) and "The Rat" (1963), and was known for his unique cinematic style and social commentary.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Elsner throughout history, illustrating its German origins and presence across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elsner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Elsner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Elsner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Elsner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Elsner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Elsner, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!